“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Gandhi

Last week I said that I would come at ya with a follow along recipe from Andrea Liddon’s “Oh She Glows Everyday” cookbook. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up having the time to prepare that this week as Christmas is nearing closer and I’ve been getting ready for my parents to arrive from Winnipeg for our first Christmas on the island.

But I realized that’s OK. Sometimes life gets busy and it’s important to know what to prioritize and when. Also – I recognized this as a perfect opportunity to talk a little about the “x,y and z reasons” that I mentioned in my first blog post – simply because these reasons have become very close to my heart.

Like most everyone, I grew up loving animals. In a way it was at a distance, as my dad is highly allergic to most and as a result we didn’t have pets growing up. Okay, that’s not exactly true – we had a cat once. Pebbles. She was calico and we adopted her off a farm in Stonewall, Manitoba. That’s how she got her name – she was a little “pebble” from a stonewall.

I adored her. She seemed smarter than most cats I’d known and I was growing to love her more and more, but one day my mom sat me down and said we had to give Pebbles away. My dad’s allergies had been so bad that he was having issues breathing. I was devastated, but knew that it was also the right decision. We joked about giving my dad away, but he clearly had seniority haha.

The main animals throughout my life so far have been my cousins dogs; my grandmother’s cat. My sister and I spent hours rolling around with Jasper, my grandmother’s grey tabby when we went over for visits. We got to know and love many dogs on my dad’s side, most with people names. Bobby, Max, Graeme, Austin, Zack, Tally, Jasmine, Charlie, Marley, April and Hulk . We knew/know them for their own unique personalities and they’re always considered just another member of the family.

The reason I’m bringing this up is because in the last few months that I’ve been vegan, I’ve become increasingly passionate over animal rights. I’ve come to realize that I’m still alive on my new diet, and not only that – feeling fantastic. I now truly know that we don’t need meat, we don’t need dairy. I have guilt over having ever bought anything leather and I’ve educated myself on numerous foods and everyday products we use that come at the cost of an animal’s life. Some things are downright shocking – even some brands of TOILET PAPER use gelatin (obtained from horses hooves) to help hold the squares together. The more you look into these things, the more distressing the reality of our desensitization becomes. We live in a world that allows us to turn a blind eye to how something arrived to us neatly packaged, how our food arrived on our plates. We consume and consume without thinking of the consequences our actions have. We don’t think at all about the beings that didn’t get a say in the matter.

I’m not here to be preachy or make anyone feel guilty – I also had blind eyes to the world for 30 years. It’s a convenient way to live, but it isn’t one that it is line with our morals. Full stop. I truly do believe that and I know that every single person that’s ever considered their pet a being that is capable of love, excitable, able feel pain, loss, etc… I KNOW that you wouldn’t wish any harm on your animals – so why others? Are pigs, cows, chickens, turkeys less than? Where do we draw the line and why?

I’m so sorry I ever drew the line.

So if you’re reading this, I ask you just to take a moment and consider where you stand. Are animals here for us? Because I’ve looked around everywhere for an answer that justifies us taking the life of an animal simply for taste, simply for some cosmetics, etc… and I can’t find one.

They are alive and like us, they are here to enjoy their life. Who can disagree to that?